This invention relates generally to dock structures; and more particularly, to a modular dock structure that enables its modular elements to be pre-fabricated and powder-coated.
The use of dock structures in and around bodies of water is well known. In the prior art, dock structures have been constructed from a variety of materials, including wood, steel, aluminum, and synthetic fibrous materials. Generally, a dock is a fixed structure which is located near a body of water and commonly extends from a mounting area on a and mass into the body of water at the periphery of the body of water. It is commonly known that dock structures are used to enable pedestrians to physically access a location above a body of water without having to enter the body of water itself. Often, the use of a dock structure is associated with the mooring of a pleasure boat, recreational watercraft, or other types of watercraft which, due to their construction, cannot easily be extracted from a body of water, but are simultaneously difficult to access from a fixed point on the surface of the earth that is not covered in water.
In the prior art, dock structures have been constructed such that watercraft of all types can be moored to them and so that pedestrians can access the watercraft at a location above a body of water where the depth of the body of water is sufficient to permit a subject watercraft to be moored such that its hull will not contact the surface of the earth beneath the water which buoys it.
Due to the nature of water, it is well known that the materials from which dock structures have been fabricated are highly subject to deterioration, weathering, and other natural phenomena of decomposition. Dock structures constructed of wood are subject to rotting and decomposition of the wood from which they are constructed. Dock structures made of steel are subject to the oxidation process, which is hastened in the presence of water and salt water. Aluminum structures, while more resistant to oxidation processes, are lighter weight and thus less resistant to structural damage due to the application of force (wind, impact damage, and ice) than steel constructed docks. Docks constructed of synthetic, fibrous materials are more brittle than steel constructed docks and are more susceptible to structural impact damage.
In general, steel is a desirable material for use in the construction of boat docks, primarily due to its strength and elasticity in comparison with other materials commonly used in the construction of boat docks. However, steel is highly susceptible to oxidation which severely limits the life-span of dock structures constructed from steel.
In the prior art of boat dock construction, the classical means of fabricating a boat dock has been to use steel framing members and elements which are custom welded into a frame structure at the site where a boat dock is assembled and installed immediately adjacent to a body of water. Such processes necessitate the use of steel framing members and elements which are welded together and because of the nature of steel are subject to deterioration due to oxidation. Classically, such steel frame constructed boat docks may be painted or otherwise covered to delay oxidation, but suffer from the eventuality that such steel frame construction will be compromised by oxidation. Paint is easily damaged, leading the underlying steel to become exposed rather easily. The use of galvanized steel has likewise been used in the prior art, but produces an unflattering appearance that is much less pleasing to the eye than a powder coated finish. Further, the custom fabrication of a boat dock, on site, is labor intensive.
The claimed Pre-Fabricated Modular Boat Dock Assembly enables the modular elements of the frame for the assembly to be created, and mass produced, in a shop or factory setting. Because of the modular construction, the individual modules are able to be powder coated in advance of installation and then assembled on site without the need of weldments to connect the modular framing members and elements. The claimed design enables the modular framing members and elements to be attached to one another using standard fasteners, such as nuts and bolts, resulting in a boat dock structure that is entirely powder coated and extremely resistant to oxidation and deterioration while simultaneously having a pleasant, finished appearance. Powder coating is not easily damaged by the types of stresses and damage to which boat dock structures are commonly subject. Thus, constructing a modular boat dock that has modular framing members and elements that are capable of being powder coated before installation is highly desirable.
It is a primary object of this invention to provide an improved dock structure.
Another primary object of the invention is to provide an improved modular dock structure utilizing uniformly fabricated structural members.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an improved modular dock structure that is capable of being effectively powder coated prior to assembly and installation.